Your Rhythm and Rhyme

The Frogs by Kahlil Gibran

Upon a summer day a frog said to his mate, “I fear those people living in that house on the shore are disturbed by our night-songs.”

And his mate answered and said, “Well, do they not annoy our silence during the day with their talking?”

The frog said, “Let us not forget that we may sing too much in the night.”

And his mate answered, “Let us not forget that they chatter and shout overmuch during the day.”

Said the frog, “How about the bullfrog who that they clatter and shout overmuch during the day.”

Said the frog, “How about the bullfrog who disturbs the whole neighborhood with his God-forbidden booming?”

And his mate replied, “Aye, and what say you of the politician and the priest and the scientist who come to these shores and fill the air with noisy and rhymeless sound?”

Then the frog said, “Well, let us be better than these human beings. Let us be quiet at night, and keep our songs in our hearts, even though the moon calls for our rhythm and the stars for our rhyme. At least, let us be silent for a night or two, or even for three nights.”

And his mate said, “Very well, I agree. We shall see what your bountiful heart will bring forth.”

That night the frogs were silent; and they were silent the following night also, and again upon the third night.

And strange to relate, the talkative woman who lived in the house beside the lake came down to breakfast on that third day and shouted to her husband, “I have not slept these three nights. I was secure with sleep when the noise of the frogs was in my ear. But something must have happened. They have not sung now for three nights; and I am almost maddened with sleeplessness.”

The frog heard this and turned to his mate and said, winking his eye, “And we were almost maddened with our silence, were we not?”

And his mate answered, “Yes, the silence of the night was heavy upon us. And I can see now that there is no need for us to cease our singing for the comfort of those who must needs fill their emptiness with noise.”

And that night the moon called not in vain for their rhythm nor the stars for their rhyme.

You might reason that it’s better to sit down, to remain silent and avoid raising your hand. Everone would prefer that you be well-mannered and polite, please don’t waste our time.